Daily Current Capsules - 29^th October 2019

Defence
Indo-French Joint Exercise Shakti-2019

Relevance IN - Prelims (about Exercise Shakti)

What's the NEWS

• Series of 'Exercise SHAKTI' between India and France commenced in year 2011.
• Its a biennial exercise and is conducted alternately in India and France.
• As part of Exercise SHAKTI - 2019, French Army troops arrived in India on 26 October 2019 for training with Indian Troops.
• The bilateral training exercise will be conducted at Foreign Training Node at Mahajan Field Firing Ranges, Rajasthan.
• The bilateral exercise will be conducted from 31 October 2019 to 13 November 2019.

Know! more about the joint exercise

• The joint exercise will focus on Counter Terrorism operations in backdrop of semi-desert terrain under United Nations Mandate.
• The training will focus primarily on high degree of physical fitness, sharing of drill at tactical level and learning of best practices from each other.
• The exercise aims at enhancing understanding, cooperation and interoperability between the two Armies.
• The exercise will culminate in a 36 hrs long validation exercise which will involve neutralization of terrorists in a village hideout.
  

Bilateral Relations/International Organisations
India Approaches World Body After Pakistan Denies Airspace Use For PM Modi's Flight
Relevance IN - Prelims (about ICAO) + Mains ( GS II bilateral relations)
What's the NEWS

• India has approached the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) after Pakistan denied Prime Minister Narendra Modi's special flight the use of its airspace
• Overflight clearances are sought, and granted by other countries as per prescribed ICAO guidelines and India will continue to seek such overflight clearances.
• This is the third time in recent weeks that Islamabad has refused to allow Indian leaders to use its airspace after turning down last month requests by President Ram Nath Kovind and Modi.
• Modi will travel to Saudi Arabia on Monday where he will attend an international business forum and hold talks with top Saudi leadership.

Know! about ICAO

• ICAO is International Civil Aviation Organization.
• It is an UN specialized agency that was established in 1944 to manage governance and administration of Convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago Convention).
• The organization classifies the principles and techniques of international air navigation. It also plans and develops international air transport to ensure safety and security

State Specific/Prelims Factoids
First-ever Ladakh Literature festival from Oct 29
Relevance IN - Prelims (about the literature fest)
What's the NEWS

• Ladakh is all set to host the first ever Ladakh Literature Festival (LLF) from 29th to 31st October this year.
• The Ladakh Literature Festival, a festival of literature, culture and art, will begin in the State of Jammu & Kashmir state and culminated in the Union Territory (UT) of Ladakh, as Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh will officially become two separate UTs on 31st October.

Know! more about the festival

• The Ladakh Literature Festival 2019 is being jointly organised by J&K Tourism, Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) Leh, Ladakh Media & Art Organisation (LAMO) and All Ladakh Tours Operators' Association (ALTOA).

Electoral Reforms
Postal ballot facilities for Absentee voters of essential services, Senior citizens of more than 80 years and marked PwD electors

Relevance IN - Prelims (about the amendments done in the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961) + Mains ( GS II electoral reforms)
What's the NEWS

• The disabled and people over 80 years of age can now cast their vote through postal ballot, the government said on Saturday, in a move that will help increase voter turnout.
• At present, voting through postal ballot is available to armed forces and those assigned poll duties.

Know! about the amendments done

• On the recommendation of the Election Commission, the Ministry of Law and Justice has amended the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961, on October 22, allowing senior citizens and person with disabilities in the absentee voter list.
• The absentee voter refers to a vote cast by someone who is unable to go to the polling station.
• Officials said that in both these categories there are people who are unable to reach the polling stations and thus are unable to cast their votes.
• This will enable people from these two categories to cast their votes with ease and will also thus increase the voter turnout
• The poll officer will attest the absentee voter in the case of senior citizens and person with disability in the form 13A.
• Election Commission of India has started working on detailed guidelines and SoPs to facilitate the process of postal ballot paper for Absentee voters of essential services, Senior citizens of more than 80 years and marked PwD electors.
• These guidelines will include the identification of such voters, the manner of outreach, the methods of collection as well as voting in the specified centres in each constituency.
• The Commission is also taking a number of steps including personal contact under its SVEEP initiatives to make the electors aware of this new facility so that such electors can exercise their voting right in the manner they intend to do.
• The Election Commission is committed to ensure the ease of voting to all such categories of electors. With this new initiative, the Commission is sure that the senior citizens of more than 80 years of age and the PwD electors will have the choice of exercising their right to franchise from their homes.
• However, such voters have both the choices available either voting through postal ballot by following due procedure or going to the polling station on polling day for voting to exercise their electoral rights in the largest democracy in the world.

State Specific
Kanya Sumangala Yojana
Relevance IN - Prelims (about Kanya Sumangala Yojana)
What's the NEWS

• The Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath launched the government's flagship scheme 'Mukhya Mantri Kanya Sumangala Yojana'.

Know! more about the scheme

• Kanya Sumangala yojana will provide a fund worth Rs 15000 to every family where a girl child is born. The amount will be released to the family in a phased manner.
• Kanya Sumangala scheme has been designed in a way that the parents will have to take proper care of the girl child with respect to her health and education and other aspects, in order to get the benefit.
• The funds under the scheme will be released in various instalments when the girl child completes various milestones such as at the time of birth, vaccination, admission to Class 1, 5, 9 and graduation.
• The UP CM also launched the Kanya Sumangala web portal and conferred symbolic cheques and certificates to some of the beneficiaries. The actual amount, however, will be transferred directly into the accounts of the beneficiaries.
• Over 1.25 lakh registrations have already been initiated under the scheme. All girl children born after April 1, 2019 are eligible for the full fund.
• For the girl children born before April 1, 2019, the date will be used as a cut-off for other levels, in which they will be entitled to receive a part of the fund.
• For eg, if a girl child has taken admission in Class 1 after April 1, 2019, the funds that would have been released at her birth and completion of first vaccination will be subtracted and the remaining will be given to her in the scheduled instalments.
  
  

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